Alluring Ink

by Ranae Rose

  She watched as he pulled off his clothes – all of them – unable to imagine ever getting tired of seeing him reveal so much inked muscle. Sometimes, at moments like this, she experienced flickers of surprise that bordered on self-doubt.

  Dylan was incredibly attractive, inside and out. She’d never been able to find anyone like him before, but now that she was a single mom with much less time and energy to dedicate to dating, he’d more or less fallen into her lap.

  As he stripped off her dress and bra, it all seemed almost too good to be true. But the hot, hard press of his body against hers proved that it was undeniably real. Her head spun as they became tangled on the bed, limbs intertwining and mouths crushing together. It was heaven interspersed with glimmering memories of her past. Memories that glinted cold and sharp, at odds with the heat sweeping through her body.

  This was a terrible time to think about it, but she couldn’t help it. The flicker of self-doubt she’d felt moments ago had taken root, reminding her of an uncomfortable truth: there were things Dylan didn’t know about her. Things he might not like.

  She hadn’t even considered sharing them when they’d first met, because she hadn’t known they’d had any chance of a future together. Now though, they’d committed to this thing between them, and she suddenly felt bad.

  Still, she couldn’t fathom bringing it up yet. And so she pushed the memories down and let her senses drown in her current reality.

  It wasn’t hard to do. Dylan had rolled onto his back, pulling her on top so that she straddled him. She leaned toward him, and he toward her, pressing his mouth against her breast. The feel of his tongue and teeth against her nipple made everything inside her draw up tight. When he slipped a hand between her spread thighs and massaged her clit, she sighed.

  She couldn’t worry about anything else anymore. He was pushing her again, igniting a spark that smoldered, making her crave another climax.

  She was the one who caved first. He was still teasing her nipples and stroking her inner wall when she begged him to stop. She wanted to come, but she wanted him to be inside her when she did. There was no such thing as a substitute for being filled by his cock.

  While he’d been gone, she’d finally picked up some condoms to keep in her room. Retrieving one from the bedside stand, she climbed back on top of him and rolled it slowly down his shaft.

  He groaned when she finished and cradled his balls, touching the tender skin behind them.

  He groaned louder when she wrapped her fingers around the base of his dick and held it steady as she sank down onto it.

  She went slow, savoring the pleasure of feeling her pussy yield to his hard shaft for the first time in weeks. An ache filled her when the head of it sank deep, pushing her to her limits.

  Rising up and down, she relived the sweet shock of it over and over, letting her clit grind against his groin. It felt so good, and he looked so good lying stretched beneath her, that she knew she’d come this way.

  She let her gaze tear over all his ink and muscle as the building pleasure tore through her, making her thighs quiver. He was tense beneath her and she could feel his gaze burning on her body, touching her where he wasn’t.

  He followed with his hands, stroking her thighs, her hips, her breasts. Her nipples tingled beneath his fingertips, and when he gave one a pinch, she felt it all the way in her core.

  That combined with the slow grind of her clit against his groin, and the pressure of him deep inside her, pushed her to climax. Pleasure pulsed through her, breathtaking until it ebbed and left her lightheaded.

  “Damn, that feels so good, Crystal.”

  He gripped her hips and held her steady as he thrust up into her, going hard until he came too. Aftershocks of pleasure shot through her, and she rode them out as long as she could.

  When it was all over, her worries crashed back down on her. She had a hand resting on his chest, and the pounding of his heart against her palm drove home the fact that they’d really be getting to know each other, now that he was here to stay.

  He’d be moving into his new apartment in a couple days, and it would be done. He’d be living in her city and working with her circle of family, friends and acquaintances at Hot Ink. Everyone important in her life had strong ties to the studio, and now he was one of them. He’d know everything everyone else already knew about her eventually.

  It was bound to change the way he saw her. She could only hope that it wouldn’t change the way he felt about her.

  * * * * *

  “You have a great poker face,” Dylan said, standing in his new living room. It looked sad with nothing but a couch and a few boxes stacked on the floor. “It must be hard to hide how impressed you are right now.”

  His Pittsburgh apartment was adequate, but nothing to write home about. It did have two bedrooms, so Ben would be glad. Its best quality was that it wasn’t too far from Hot Ink … or Crystal’s place.

  Crystal stood beside him in a blue dress that showed off her long legs and slim figure. Her hair was tied up in some kind of fancy knot, and although he preferred it loose, he had to admit it looked classy. She looked out of place – too perfect – in his barren apartment.

  “It’s nice,” she said. “Nicer than it looked in the listing, actually. They didn’t include clear pictures of the kitchen counters, but they’re great.” She strode into the open kitchen and ran a hand along one of the bare counters. “You just need to get unpacked. Maybe decorate a little to make it seem more like home.”

  He didn’t tell her that as long as she was around, he’d much rather be there than back home. He’d miss the guys at his old shop in Newark, and Ben, but looked forward to life in Pittsburgh.

  “How late are James and Arianna willing to babysit?” he asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. Her perfume filled his lungs – a spicy orange scent – and turned him on. He’d never seen her look so glamourous, but it suited her well.

  Everything did. She was beyond beautiful.

  She turned to face him, her lips curling in a smile. “Didn’t I tell you? They’re keeping Emily for the night.”

  Heat flooded him, and he had visions of picking Crystal up and placing her on the edge of one of the kitchen counters she liked so much. They were about waist-height, and it’d be easy to kneel and eat her pussy, or stand between her open thighs and fuck her.

  “Great.”

  “It was Arianna’s idea – she offered to babysit so you and I could go out on a date.”

  “I haven’t met her yet, but I like her.”

  He barely resisted the growing urge to lift Crystal onto the counter. “We’d better go – the reservation is at seven, and we’re pushing six-thirty now.”

  She grinned. “I can’t wait to find out where you’re taking me.”

  He wasn’t familiar with Pittsburgh yet, but with a little help from the internet, he’d found a nice place that was supposed to have great river views and even better food. It was upscale, and he didn’t care about the cost. Crystal didn’t get many opportunities to go out at night without Emily, and he wanted to make it special.

  “Let’s go.” He took her hand and led her to his car, a good feeling following him. This was his chance to give Crystal the kind of attention she deserved, and he wasn’t going to mess it up. He had a real chance with her, and he was going to make the most of it.

  * * * * *

  The restaurant Dylan took Crystal to was gorgeous – probably nicer than any place she’d eaten before, although she hoped he didn’t suspect that. She was glad she’d dressed up. Everything was elegant, from the lighting to the table settings. And there was a river view beyond a long panoramic window to their right.

  “This place is beautiful. Who recommended it to you?”

  “I did some frantic internet searching when you told me you were going to have a babysitter for the evening.”

  She nodded, scanning her menu. Butterflies swirled through her stomach. This was the first time th
ey’d been out together like this – their night with the group at Ruby’s could hardly be compared to this place – and the occasion held all the magic of a first date.

  A first date with someone she was very, very familiar with. Hiding a smile with her menu, she glanced up at Dylan, who was pouring over his, oblivious to her spying.

  God, he looked good. She normally saw him in jeans and a t-shirt, but he cleaned up nicely. Not too nicely though. A hint of ink was clearly visible above his shirt’s top button, and she couldn’t help staring, it was such a turn-on.

  He looked up and met her eyes abruptly, and a hint of a smile curled one side of his mouth, like he knew he’d caught her looking. “What do you think of sharing an appetizer?”

  “Sure.”

  She resisted the urge to fan herself with the menu. He’d recently spent several nights at her place, since his apartment hadn’t been ready when he’d first arrived in Pittsburgh, but the time they’d spent together didn’t do anything to take the edge off her excitement now. After dinner, she’d make sure he had one hell of a first night in his new place.

  They settled on Portobello caprese for the appetizer, and when the waiter delivered the plate to their table, he recommended a wine to accompany it. It was nice to not be the only one to decline.

  “You look so beautiful,” Dylan said when the waiter was gone. Reaching across the table, he took one of her hands in his. “Have I mentioned that yet?”

  “You may have hinted at it.” She smiled, wanting to tell him how good he looked, but afraid all her thoughts about the ink above that button, and the way she’d like to undo all of them, would come spilling out.

  He looked like he was about to reply when a humming sound intruded on their conversation. Crystal checked her purse, thinking of Emily, but it wasn’t her phone.

  “It’s mine,” Dylan said, and ignored it.

  “So how was your first day as a full-time artist at Hot Ink?” In all the excitement of seeing his new apartment and leaving for their date, she hadn’t had a chance to ask.

  “Good. The new workspace upstairs is top of the line. Kind of weird being up there by myself, though.”

  “Jed’s planning to find more artists to fill up the second story, right?”

  Dylan nodded. “He’s going to move upstairs too. He’s still getting his new work space set up though.”

  “Any idea how many appointments you have booked up so far?” Hot Ink in general was busy, and Dylan had been a popular artist in Newark. She was curious about how fast the demand for him would pile up in Pittsburgh.

  “Mostly consultations so far, but I’ve already got quite a few of those lined up. Unless someone is traveling from out of town to be tattooed, I like to meet with them in person to discuss their desires first. When it comes to something that’s going to be on someone’s body forever, I think genuine human connection beats an email or a phone call.”

  “Do people ever come to you with ideas you won’t tattoo?”

  “Occasionally. There’s not much I won’t consider, but sometimes people come to me asking for work that’s outside my style, and if I know someone who can tattoo it better, I prefer to send them there. And then there are the requests for racially insensitive designs and other crude stuff I don’t want to touch.”

  Crystal grimaced. “I can only imagine what you mean by ‘other crude stuff’.”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to know.” He shook his head, laughed and looked back at his menu. “Especially not when you’re about to eat.”

  “Sorry. Guess this wasn’t the best time for me to bring it up.”

  He shrugged. “I’m just trying to protect you. I’m so hungry, there’s nothing that could kill my appetite.”

  She settled on a glazed salmon dish, and he chose steak. The food was delicious, and although she was far from hungry when she finished her entrée, she agreed when he suggested that they share a dessert.

  It’d just been delivered by the server when Dylan’s phone vibrated again. And again.

  “Maybe you should answer,” she said, pausing with a bite of the chocolate confection halfway to her mouth.

  He frowned, pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked down at the screen.

  In the blink of an eye, his expression went from annoyed to stricken. “Shit. I’ll be right back.”

  He walked outside, leaving her alone.

  CHAPTER 20

  The taste of chocolate lingered on Crystal’s tongue as Dylan drove them across the city. One bite, and they’d abandoned the dessert on the table, Dylan paying the bill in a hurry, leaving a huge tip because he hadn’t had time to wait for change. The cocoa flavor mixed with the bitter taste of adrenaline, creating a strange blend.

  He was radiating misery and she couldn’t help but feel the emotion reflected inside herself, on his behalf.

  They spent the drive across the city in silence. She wished she knew what to say, but she didn’t.

  “I’m sorry,” he said when he dropped her off at her apartment. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  She knew he didn’t want to be slowed down, but she leaned across the console and pressed a kiss against his jaw, squeezing his hand.

  “Don’t worry about me. Just promise you’ll be careful driving.”

  He nodded, though she doubted her words would affect what he did.

  “Bye, Dylan.” The sound of her heels clicking on the blacktop echoed, emphasizing her sudden loneliness.

  He waited until she opened her door, then drove away.

  A dozen emotions welled up inside Crystal as she stood, completely alone inside her apartment for the first time. The emptiness and quiet seemed to amplify her emotions – it was weird not to have Emily there. Without company or distraction, she agonized over the news Dylan had gotten, worried that he wouldn’t drive carefully enough, worried that the burden of helping his brother would become heavy enough to break him.

  Would he stay in Newark for good? Decide this had all been a mistake?

  She’d dedicated a lot of mental energy to drawing imaginary lines in her head, designating which parts of herself she was willing to surrender to Dylan. Physically, she was all his – there was no denying that. But her independence, her will and her direction – she’d sworn to hold on to all of that.

  Her highest loyalties and priorities were Emily’s, and she loved her without limits.

  But Dylan had snared her heart without her fully realizing it. And he’d taken it with him to Jersey. Now, there was just an ache where it was supposed to be.

  * * * * *

  Dylan knew depression. He knew pain, and discouragement and absolute emptiness. But he’d never hated himself as much as he did as he drove across Pennsylvania, his heart in his throat.

  Goddamn, he’d been stupid. And selfish. The call from Griff, Ben’s boss, had shown him that in a heartbeat, had revealed the egocentricity at the core of his move to Pittsburgh.

  The booth in the best tattoo studio in the city, the new apartment and most of all, Crystal’s affection – he didn’t deserve any of it.

  His heart raced as he counted off the I-76 mile markers, unable to drive fast enough. Griff had found Ben what – an hour ago? Two?

  Dylan wouldn’t reach Newark until almost three in the morning. He didn’t know how he’d be able to stand his own company for that long. He turned on the radio in an attempt to drown out his thoughts, but it didn’t work.

  They were coming too fast and too hard to be ignored, burying distractions as if they were nothing.

  He couldn’t stop picturing Ben inside that Mustang – the Shelby he’d wanted to paint so badly. The monster engine breathing out fumes, the fog pouring out of a machine designed in the sixties, before anyone had given a shit about toxic emissions. The garage dark and closed up, holding all the gases in.

  The scene flashed in his mind like paparazzi lights, intense and unwanted. He didn’t know how to make it stop.

  He wanted to be mad at Griff f
or letting Ben have a key to the garage, for making it possible for him to be there alone. But he couldn’t be. This was Dylan’s fault, plain and simple.

  It was his fault because he knew the demons Ben was battling in a way most people could never, ever understand. And he’d left him alone in his fight. Worse, the disorder seemed to affect Ben more severely than it did Dylan, and he’d known that too. While Dylan sometimes struggled, unlike Ben, his illness had never driven him to do anything that might ruin his career.

  Well, other than the Ultimate Ink Challenge clusterfuck. He’d managed to come out on top of that, though.

  More recently, while Ben had been suffering, Dylan had been spending his days with Crystal’s legs wrapped around his waist – as close to heaven as he’d ever get. All the pills in the world couldn’t keep him from stumbling into a pit of agonizing negativity.

  This time, he deserved it.

  He’d told himself Ben would be fine on his own in Newark, armed with a diagnosis and prescription medications. But it took more than that to mitigate the effects of something as complex as a chemical imbalance in the brain, and Dylan knew that damn well. He’d wanted to believe the lie he’d told himself – that Ben would be fine, that he could move six hours away with a clear conscience.

  He knew his thinking was fucked-up, sometimes, through no fault of his own. But this mistake was rooted in him being a selfish ass, plain and simple.

  * * * * *

  Crystal considered letting James and Arianna keep Emily for the night, but knew they’d discover Dylan had left town the next day, when he didn’t show up to work. Maybe he’d already contacted Jed. Either way, there’d be no hiding his absence, or the fact that their date hadn’t gone as planned.

  She didn’t like the thought of explaining over the phone, so she drove to their place without calling ahead. She still wasn’t sure what she’d say – how much Dylan would want her to share – when she knocked on the door.